Precipitation
by Momo Cicerone
Summary: And how is she supposed to tell him the answer is /always/, when he wouldn't have a clue what to do with her heart once she gave it to him? [CoAi] [ShinShi] [Shinichi x Shiho]


**Summary: **And how is she supposed to tell him the answer is _always_, when he wouldn't have a clue what to do with her heart once she gave it to him? [CoAi] [ShinShi] [Shinichi x Shiho]

**A/N: ** _anonymous said:_ It's raining today and I'm in need of reading some ShinShi under the rain.

Late, but I wanted to write this for the dear anon who keeps sending me kind messages on tumblr. Ask and you shall receive! Paying this one forward.

**.**

**x**

**.**

"Come closer," Shinichi says, inching so close to Shiho that their shoulders bump softly against each other under the shade of his umbrella. "Your sleeve is getting wet."

"I'm not _—you_ are the one getting wet!"

"That's because you're too far, stop squirming away!"

The rain pitter-patters over his backpack as they adjust to the newfound proximity, the warmth of his arm brushing against her own. She fights back the urge to hold on to it, her hands clutching around the strap of her school bag instead. The way back home suddenly feels too short, and she curses herself mentally for even entertaining the idea— feeding off impossible daydreams will eventually starve her to death.

Yet Shinichi's firm grasp is there, holding her in place though the slippery streets as she loses her balance— ever the gentleman, ever the hero she never asked him to be.

He makes it hard for her not to _wonder_.

She stiffens at his touch, jerking her arm away and ignoring his soft-whispered `_Are you okay?`_.

Her brows furrow instead.

"_Ne_, Kudo... why are you so kind to me?"

Her somber tone confuses him, but he brushes it off dismissively.

"Are you stupid? I'm always this kind." He says in a childish manner. She holds back an eyeroll.

"Yes, alright but... you don't _have to_, you know? It's not like—"

_Not like we're friends. Not like we like each other._

Shinichi waits for her to finish, but the words never come. He raises a questioning eyebrow, "Like what? Do you really need a reason to be nice to people?"

She takes a second to consider his words."To certain people, yes."

He huffs, half amused, half exasperated.

"By that logic, why are you always kind to me then? Is it because of guilt?"

"What— no!"

"Well, either that or you actually like my company."

"I don't."

"Is that so? You're doing a terrible job, then, if what you want is to atone for your imaginary sins. And, quoting your own words: _you don't have to_."

"I told you it's not like that."

"You like me, then."

It's her turn to huff, heat crawling up her face as the rain falls relentlessly over the red umbrella, echoing the irregular beating of her heart. "You're so full of yourself."

"You didn't deny it."

"I tolerate you." She clarifies.

"Gee, thanks. And why is that?"

"Shut up."

"You started it!" His chest rumble with laughter, and she suddenly feels warmer under the chilling rain. She could get used to this— to the closeness and his breathing next to hers, to the jokes and the camaraderie, to the idea of Kudo Shinichi as her safe haven in the midst of every thunderstorm. She could, but she knows she shouldn't.

"I don't know why... I'm bored, you're here. It kills time."

"Wow." He deadpans. "Best friend of the year."

"Since when are we best friends?"

"Oh, I don't know. I just assumed facing near-death experiences on a weekly basis and knowing each other's darkest secrets would somehow qualify me as your best friend. Guess I was wrong."

"If you put it that way, it just means we are friends by circumstances."

He pauses to think for a second before blurting out, "I'd still choose you."

"H-Huh!?"

"I said, even if we didn't meet on these crazy circumstances, I'd still choose you."

"Oh," Shiho seems at a loss of words, which pleases and marvels him at the same time.

"Would you choose me?" He asks innocuously, all but curiosity across his face.

And how is she supposed to tell him the answer is _always_, when he wouldn't have a clue what to do with her heart once she gave it to him?

"On a rainy day like this, of course I would." Half-truths, she decides, are the only thing she can afford to lose. "What kind of fool would refuse a human umbrella?"

His face falls. "Oi, I thought we were having a moment! That's it, you deserve to walk in the rain—" He mockingly makes a motion to pull the umbrella away, and she yelps as the furious rain splashes on her black uniform shoes. Her arms instinctively wrap around his bended elbow to keep him from pulling away.

"H-Hey!" Shiho complains, a death grip on his arm, "Watch out! Are you serious!?"

He hovers over, making it hard for her to breathe, "_Are you?_"

"Ah, alright!" She concedes, "I'd choose you too."

He doesn't seem convinced. "For real?"

"Yes, _for-freaking-real_! Damn you, Kudo, put down the umbrella, we're both getting soaked!"

"Ah, crap. I'm sorry about that." Shinichi holds out his sleeve and starts rubbing the rain drops on her hair, her shoulders, her face— she's _dying_, and he seems to realize that too because when he sees her looking at him like a deer in the headlights, with her cheeks burning pink from his touch and lips quivering for reasons outside the cold, he suddenly stops and loses the ability to form a coherent sentence.

"L-Let's just hurry back home!" He finally manages to blurt after a few failed attempts.

She nods, her arms still tightly wrapped around his, the sound of their thumping heartbeats muffled by the soft pitter-patter dancing on the red umbrella.


End file.
